Electronic devices, such as computer servers and related computer equipment, and other electronic devices, are commonly mounted in standardized racks and cabinet enclosures having spaced-apart, (typically vertical) mounting rails with a series of holes defining a plurality of uniformly-spaced mounting locations for mounting the electronic devices in a closely-spaced, stacked manner. Standards for such racks and cabinet enclosures have been published by various trade organizations, including the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA 310-D), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC 60297), and the Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. (DIN 41494 SC48D), which standards are hereby incorporated by reference.
Electronic devices suitable for mounting in such standardized racks and cabinet enclosures have heights substantially equal to an integer multiple of a predetermined height unit (U) of the standardized rack or cabinet enclosure (e.g., 1U, 2U, 3U . . . nU). For example, a 1U device may have a height of 44.45 mm (or 1.175 inches).
Blanking panels are often placed between electronic devices in standardized racks and cabinet enclosures to occupy unused mounting locations, primarily to control the flow of air in and around the rack or cabinet enclosure, and for organizational, safety and aesthetic reasons. As above, such blanking panels have heights substantially equal to an integer multiple of the predetermined height unit (U) of the standardized rack or cabinet enclosure (e.g., 1U, 2U, 3U . . . nU).
Electronic devices and blanking panels (including the blanking panel of the present invention) which are mutually suitable for mounting in an electronic equipment rack or cabinet enclosure (constructed according to one of the above-mentioned standards, or another standard) may be described collectively herein as “conforming” or as “conforming devices.”
Early blanking panels consist of a generally flat sheet of material (e.g., sheet metal) having mounting holes on opposite ends which are suitable to mount the blanking panel to the rack or cabinet enclosure using mechanical fasteners, such as screws, bolts, or captive hardware, or the like. The fasteners are inserted into the holes in the mounting rails of the standardized rack or cabinet enclosure. Later model blanking panels are integrally-formed of injection molded plastic and have snap-mount structures on each end which engage opposing surfaces of the mounting rails to securely (and removably) attach the blanking panel to the rack or cabinet enclosure.
Such prior constructions of blanking panels generally serve their intended purposes; however, flat sheet blanking panels often warp or bend and lose sealing effectiveness in the rack, and the prior snap-mount blanking panels do not provide an effective barrier to air flow. Further, the prior snap-mount blanking panels can be difficult and uncomfortable to engage and disengage from the rack or cabinet enclosure because inadequate room is available from the finger lifts or turn buttons to clear the edges of the rack or cabinet. Indeed, it is not uncommon for users of prior blanking panels to abrade or scrape their hands and knuckles on the cabinet enclosure or rack when mounting or removing the panels. Also, the physical arrangement of devices and blanking panels in racks and cabinet enclosures can be quite dynamic, requiring frequent movement of devices and reconfiguration of the blanking panels. Thus, the difficulty and discomfort involved in installing and replacing prior blanking panels can be significant.
The prior blanking panels do not allow for stable stacking of multiple blanking panels for storage and thus must be stored in a container, such as a corrugated box, which is undesirable for data centers and the like. In addition, the prior blanking panels do not provide a means for reliably measuring atmospheric conditions of the ambient area which is often desirable in data centers and the like, or provide an area for mounting signage or for a writing surface which can provide information about the rack or devices therein. Further, prior blanking panels do not provide a means to pass cable through the blanking panel.
Therefore, what is desired is an improved blanking panel for standardized electronic equipment racks and cabinet enclosures which is convenient and comfortable to engage and disengage from the rack, which provides a substantial and reliable seal against air flow in the areas immediately above and below the blanking panel, which provides for reliable, stable stacking of multiple blanking panels outside a container, which provides a reliable means for measuring atmospheric conditions in the ambient area, which provides an area for mounting signage or for a writing surface, and which provides a cable pass-through.